M5.6 earthquake 5 km SSE of León, Nicaragua
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck 5 km SSE of León, Nicaragua on Thu, May 9, 1963, 9:03 AM GMT-6 (15:03 UTC), 50 km (31 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.6 (mw), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1963-05-09 15:03:46 UTC
- Depth
- 50.0 km (31.1 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 12.395° N, 86.858° W
- Region
- Nicaragua
- Strongest shaking
- V, moderate shaking
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Shaking
The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.
- Strongest estimated
- V, moderate shaking
- Peak ground acceleration
- 6.0% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- 1.1 cm/s
- Map
- Automatic
Did you feel it?
No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Magnitude uncertainty
- ±0.31
- Depth from
- From location
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
None recorded.
Earthquakes todayNicaragua earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem872280. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 9:58 AM UTC.